President’s Message
I recently attended a Judy Collins concert at Cain Park. Those of you who are of a certain age will remember her. She is a folk singer from the 1960s, part of the Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan era. Judy is now 84 years old and can still hit those high notes and has amazing breath control. She ended the concert with Stephen Sondheim’s “Send in the Clowns.”
Well, that takes me back to another era when the National Organization for Women (NOW) was in full swing. There was a T-shirt with “Send in the Clowns” on the front along with a picture of the U.S. Capitol and underneath it was this message: “Don’t bother they’re here.” (Part of the song, if you are unfamiliar).
So, I ask, has much changed? As I was writing this final column, we were still waiting for the debt ceiling issue to be resolved, at the risk of an international financial crisis. Some U.S. Supreme Court justices and spouses are coming under a cloud of questionable gifts and activities. At our very own Ohio Statehouse, there is so much “clowning” occurring that it’s almost impossible to itemize.
As I wrap up my final term as our League’s president, I implore you to stay on top of all that is happening in Ohio. As we learned at our last All Member Meeting, what “our” legislators are trying to do to higher education and K-12 in our state is catastrophic. What they have just done to get Issue 1 (Senate Joint Resolution 2 and House Joint Resolution 1) on the ballot August 8 is beyond reason. More than 240 organizations and past governors and attorneys general—of both parties—have expressed their opposition to Issue 1. Nonetheless, the General Assembly, evidently much wiser than everyone else, has moved ahead with another $20 million special election.
All Leagues in Ohio are preparing to mobilize to defeat Issue 1 with a VOTE NO campaign. Get ready to help by joining forces to educate the public about how harmful it would be if Issue 1 passes and how we would be turning our very democracy over to powerful interests that are not representative of our interests.
We have been fielding calls and emails from voters who want to sign the reproductive rights petition. Those inquiries should go to Protect Choice Ohio.
Finally, thank you all for a great three years as your president. I look forward to the new energy your incoming board will bring to our organization. Please join us at the Annual Meeting on June 3 to welcome them. See the article below for your meeting packet.
I’m also looking forward to spending more time in my garden this summer and decompressing a little bit before launching into the fight to defeat Issue 1. Feel free to stop by, pull a few weeds and nibble on whatever produce is available!
Thank you, League of Women Voters of Kent. It has been an honor to serve as your president!
In League,
Debbie
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